Italy could shoot down space plan

EUROPE's contribution to the international space station Alpha could be in jeopardy if Italy does not stump up more cash for the project. European Space Agency officials are frantically trying to pull the Italians back on board, before space ministers from the ESA nations meet in Toulouse, France, later this month to map out Europe's future in space.

ESA's proposed contribution to the American-led space station initially included a free-flying laboratory, in addition to hardware for the station proper. The present scaled-down proposal is to provide the Columbus Orbiting Facility, a laboratory which would be bolted to the main station, and the Automated Transfer Vehicle, which would ferry fuel and freight into space.

Even these modest plans have caused long and acrimonious debate. But last week, France and Germany finally agreed to pay two-thirds of the project's £1.1 billion price tag over the period 1996 to 2000. Under the deal, ...

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